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Recipe Book

Campania

Over the years, the cooking of Campania has come to represent what the rest of the world considers to be Italian cuisine. Campania is a fertile, volcanic region that boasts a variety of excellent produce, from tomatoes from San Marzano, artichokes and peppers to buffalo mozzarella, Italy’s classic dried pasta and an abundance of fish and seafood. In the hinterlands and mountain areas, pork products are common and in coastal areas you can find unusual products such as the potent anchovy sauce of the small town of Cetara, la collatura di alici. Neapolitans are also famous for their splendid sweets and desserts, with babà, pastiera and sfogliatelle only a few of the delicious sweetmeats on offer.

Traditional dishes:

Arancini di Riso: Fried Rice Balls

These rice balls are a favorite street food, available at stands and shop fronts all over Naples. But they’re also a great way to use up left over rice or risotto from the day before.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Arborio rice
  • 25 g butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 100g prosciutto cotto or salami, diced
  • 200 g mozzarella or fior di latte, diced
  • 100 g breadcrumbs
  • Olive oil for frying

Instructions

  • Cook the rice in abundant, salted boiling water.
  • Drain well and mix in the butter.
  • Leave to cool a little.
  • Beat the eggs with the Parmesan cheese and stir into the rice.
  • Leave to cool completely.
  • Once the rice has cooled, take a little and place it in the palm of your hand.
  • Press a little proscuitto and mozzarella into the center and cover with some more rice.
  • Roll into a ball shape, making sure the filling is well enclosed in the rice, and ensuring the arancini are firm and compact.
  • (Otherwise they tend to open during frying.)
  • Roll the rice balls in the breadcrumbs and fry in abundant, hot olive oil.
  • Drain quickly on kitchen paper, then serve.

Number of servings (yield): 4-6

Gattò di Patate: Baked Potato Pie

Who would have thought plain old potatoes could taste so good?

Ingredients

  • 1 kg floury potatoes
  • 100 g butter, softened
  • 2 eggs plus 1 yolk, beaten together
  • 100 g grated Parmesan cheese
  • Handful of parsley, chopped
  • ½ – 1 glass milk
  • 50 g breadcrumbs
  • 100g prosciutto cotto (or salami)
  • 250 g mozzarella or fior di latte
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  • Boil the potatoes (complete with skin) in abundant, salted boiling water.
  • Once cooked, drain, peel and push through a potato ricer or mash with a potato masher.
  • Add half the butter, the eggs, Parmesan, and the parsley.
  • Stir well with a wooden spoon, adding just enough milk to obtain a thick, smooth purée.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide the mixture into two, and leave to cool for half an hour.
  • Grease a rectangular ovenproof dish with a little olive oil and dust with a few of the breadcrumbs, turning the dish upside down to remove excess crumbs.
  • Spread out half of the potato mixture in the bottom of the dish, then scatter the prosciutto and mozzarella on top.
  • Spread the rest of the potato mixture on top and smooth the surface.
  • Scatter the top with remaining breadcrumbs and dot with remaining butter.
  • Cook for 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 180ºC.
  • Allow to cool for 10 minutes then serve.

Number of servings (yield): 4-6

Vermicelli con le Vongole: vermicelli with Clams

A real favorite in Campania, you’ll find this dish everywhere from Napoli to Salerno.

Ingredients

  • 500 g vermicelli
  • 1¼ kg clams
  • 2 large cloves garlic, halved
  • 250 g tomatoes, skinned and chopped (or tinned)
  • 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small chilli pepper, crumbled
  • Handful of parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

  • Soak the clams for a couple of hours in lightly salted water, after which rinse well under cold running water.
  • Place in a pan with a drizzling of olive oil and toss over a high heat until all clams have opened.
  • Discard those which remain closed, and filter the juices that have formed in the pan.
  • In a large frying pan heat the remaining olive oil and add the garlic.
  • Once garlic has turned golden brow, discard.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, crushing the larger pieces with the back of a fork.
  • Sprinkle in the chilli pepper, salt to taste and cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes.
  • Add the clams from the other pan along with the filtered juices and the chopped parsley.
  • Meanwhile cook the vermicelli in abundant, boiling salted water until al dente.
  • Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.
  • Add the vermicelli to the other pan and toss all the ingredients well, adding a little of the cooking water if vermicelli are too dry.
  • Serve immediately with a final garnish of chopped parsley.

Number of servings (yield): 4-6

Coniglio alla Ischitana: Rabbit Ischitana Style

Ingredients

  • 1 rabbit, cut into pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small chilli pepper, finely chopped
  • 1½ glasses white wine
  • 250 g tomatoes, chopped
  • Handful of parsley, finely chopped
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  • Heat a drizzling of olive oil in a terracotta pot.
  • Add the garlic and chilli pepper and brown the pieces of rabbit, turning often, so they color on all sides.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Pour in the white wine and cook the rabbit over a medium heat for about half an hour.
  • Add the tomatoes and parsley and continue cooking until rabbit is cooked, another 10 – 20 minutes.
  • Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Number of servings (yield): 4

La Torta Caprese: Chocolate Caprese Cake

Ingredients

  • 150 g butter
  • 250 g sugar
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 300 g almonds, ground
  • 250 g dark chocolate

Instructions

  • In a bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until it becomes pale and fluffy.
  • Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each one.
  • Stir in the salt, the vanilla essence and the ground almonds.
  • Melt the chocolate over a bain marie and stir into the cake mix.
  • In another clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage.
  • Very delicately, fold the egg whites into the cake mixture and pour the mixture into a buttered floured 9” round cake tin.
  • Bake in an oven preheated to 320ºF for 45 minutes.
  • Leave to cool for 10 minutes then remove to a wire rack and leave until completely cool.

Number of servings (yield): 1 cake

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